AD AGE: Momentum Names Omid Farhang Chief Creative Officer

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Momentum Worldwide, part of Interpublic's McCann Worldgroup, has named Omid Farhang its chief creative officer, the company said. He succeeds Jon Hamm, who was named chief creative officer at Geometry Global last month.

Mr. Farhang, who assumes his new post Nov. 10, spent the first few months of 2014 as chief creative officer of Narrative, Russell Simmons and Tricia Clarke-Stone's entertainment marketing and technology company. Since March he has been a freelance creative director for companies including McCann. He began his career at Crispin Porter & Bogusky and later became a creative executive at Creative Artists Agency.

Mr. Farhang came recommended by McCann Global Creative Chairman Rob Reilly, a former CP&B colleague. "You've got to sprinkle in some of the things you know," Mr. Reilly said. "Some of the proven talents. The confidence I have in these people is that they know the system that I know."

Mr. Reilly has built a small team of CP&B alumni since his appointment earlier this year, including McCann Global Executive Creative Directors Bill Wright and James Dawson-Hollis. "There's a lot of shorthand," he said. "Putting them in these very high positions, they know a lot of the same processes and decisions that I agree with."

Mr. Farhang's varied background is what appealed to Momentum CEO Chris Weil. "We're a complicated agency," said Mr. Weil. "We'll produce everything to from television spots to television shows and from retail events to sporting events. It's diverse on an annual basis and his background is unique in that sense, he came from Crispin, an ideas shop, and CAA is very much content-led."

"Coming out of those two varied experiences, I approach this job with a pretty simple mission: Help brands etch out their meaningful roles in people's lives through meaningful action," said Mr. Farhang. "Treat the audience with the intelligence it deserves."

In his new role, Mr. Farhang will chair Momentum's global creative council and oversee the agency's North American creative duties on accounts includingAmerican Express, Porsche, Bentley, Mondelez, Coca-Cola and Anheuser-Busch InBev, for which Momentum is producing work for Budweiser and its 'Drink Responsibly' campaign.